Rebluing, what does it do to the value?

[Art Doc]

Refinishing only makes sense if the gun it a total dog on finish. Like 30% or less. Otherwise you spend money to make the gun worth less. You sound like you want to refinish a gun with a tiny bit of wear. That will be a big financial loser. Take a $600 gun, spend $200 to refinish, gun now worth $400 as a refinished gun. Make sense to you?

 

[RWPBR]

When you consider the value of a gun with a poor or heavily worn finish isn't much to begin with what percentage of practically 0% are you losing by refinishing it?

Sure there may be exceptions to this but for most commercial firearms a quality refinish if needed should add value. All the perfect pristine /NIB/unfired stuff is already tucked into someone here's safe anyway. Do the maintenance, let someone down the line enjoy it 50 years from now. This is just my opinion, free advice is worth what you paid for it!

 

[sigp220.45]

I wonder if he popped for the reblue in the five years since he posted this.

 

[usmc2427765]

Did you ever notice that when you take a refinished gun into a dealer to trade, they always low ball you because it is "reblued". If, however, they put the same gun into inventory for resale, it is always" beautifully restored".

 

[kbm6893]

Members of a gun forum are not representative of all gun owners. Most people just want a gun to shoot or to carry. They don't care about factory correct finish. And most, in my experience, don't want a gun that looks trashed.

A few years ago, I bought a Model 10-8 from Buds. You know the story, sight unseen. I accepted the gun, but the finish bothered me. I would say 70% remained, with lots of scratches. I think I paid $300 or so for the gun. I had it reblued by a local shop. Looks beautiful now. The reblue cost me $250. If I sold it, would I get $550? I don't know. But so what? The gun looks great now and I have enjoyed it more since I bought it. If I lose $150 in a sale I couldn't care less. Think of all the dumb things we waste money on. I'm not gonna worry about a few cents a day the reblue cost me over the life of the gun.

I'd buy a refinished gun over a beater any day of the week. Would I pay as much for a refinished gun as I would a factory original mint gun? Of course not. The fact that somebody paid to refinish the gun means they probably cared for it mechanically as well. The guy who stored the gun in a leather holster for years clearly didn't properly maintain the gun.